Hoteliers reiterate rejection to east region high-rises

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Hotels and Tourism Association (Asonahores) president Joel Santos on Sun. reiterated their rejection of the construction of high-rises at Punta Cana (east) claiming that the destination’s tourism development model based on low density and low building height has been successful .

He said Punta Cana’s hotels have turned the area into the Caribbean’s leading tourist destination and contribute to interesting architectural and construction solutions for the successful “all inclusive” hotels, and expanded it to other sun and beach destinations.

Santos stressed the lack of studies that allow to affirm that the construction of towers along the shore contributes to tourism’s competitiveness.

The hotelier responded to recent research published by Gallup that found that tourists prefer visiting Dominican Republic for accommodation in low-rise buildings in a friendly and natural environment. “There is a study that shows how the construction of towers in Punta Cana would disfigure the typical Caribbean coastal landscape, a fundamental component of tourism in the island.”